Smart Decarceration is a forward-thinking, practical volume that provides innovative concepts and concrete strategies for ushering in an era of decarceration -- a proactive and effective undoing of the era of mass incarceration. The text grapples with tough questions and takes up the challenge of transforming America's approach to criminal justice in the 21st century. This timely work consists of chapters written from multiple perspectives and disciplines including advocates, researchers, academics, practitioners, and persons with incarceration histories who are now leaders in the movement.The primary purpose of this book is to inform both academic and public understanding -- to place the challenge of smart decarceration at the center of the current national discourse, taking into account the realities of the current sociopolitical context -- and to propose beginning action steps. This is achieved by first outlining and addressing questions such as: What if incarceration were not an option for most?; Whose voices are essential in this era of decarceration?; What is the state of evidence for solutions?; How do we generate and adopt empirically driven reforms?; How do we redefine and rethink justice in the United States? Smart Decarceration offers a way forward in building a field for decarceration through provocative but reasoned challenges to existing approaches to criminal justice reforms, lively focus on potential solutions, and action steps for reform.

ContributorsForeword by Michael SherradenIntroduction by Matthew EppersonPart I: Setting the Context for DecarcerationChapter 1: Smart Decarceration: Guiding Concepts for an Era of Criminal Justice TransformationMatthew Epperson and Carrie Pettus-DavisChapter 2: Reflections on a Locked Door: Lessons from History and the Failed Promise of Penal IncarcerationRebecca GinsburgChapter 3: From Moment to Movement: The Urgency for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals to Lead Decarceration EffortsGlenn E. MartinPart II: Advancing Justice and Community ReformsChapter 4: From the Inside Out: A Perspective on Decarceration from a Formerly Incarcerated IndividualRonald Simpson-BeyChapter 5: The Prosecutor's Role in Promoting Decarceration: Lessons Learned from Milwaukee CountyJohn Chisholm and Jeffery AltenburgChapter 6: Learning to Lead in the Decarceration MovementVivian D. NixonChapter 7: Prisoner Reentry in an Era of Smart DecarcerationReuben Jonathan MillerChapter 8: Community and Decarceration: Developing Localized SolutionsKathryn BocanegraPart III: Rethinking Policy and PracticeChapter 9: Minimizing the Maximum: The Case for Shortening All Prison SentencesNazgol GhandnooshChapter 10: Reforming Civil Disability Policy to Facilitate Effective and Sustainable DecarcerationCarrie Pettus-Davis, Matthew Epperson, and Annie GrierChapter 11: A Public Health Approach to Decarceration: Strategies to Reduce the Prison and Jail Population and Support ReentryErnest DruckerChapter 12: Community Interventions for Justice Involved Individuals: Assessing Gaps in Programming to Promote DecarcerationFaye S. Taxman and Amy MurphyChapter 13: Empirical Means to Decarcerative Ends? Advancing the Science and Practice of Risk AssessmentJulian Adler, Sarah Picard-Fritsche, Michael Rempel, and Jennifer A. TallonPart IV: Moving from Concepts to StrategiesChapter 14: Imagining the Future of Justice: Advancing Decarceration through Multisector Social InnovationsMargaret E. SeversonChapter 15: Guideposts for the Smart Decarceration Era: Recommendations Strategies for Researchers, Practitioners, and Formerly Incarcerated LeadersCarrie Pettus-Davis, Matthew Epperson, Samuel Taylor, and Annie GrierIndex